Railway draft rigging



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 7, 1930. H..J. LOUNSBURY l RAILWAY DRAFT RIGGING Filed Deo. 9, 1927 Jan. 7, 1930. H. -J. LOUNSBURY RA ILWAY DRAFT RIGGING Filed Deo. 9, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A Ulf Patented Jan. 7, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARVEY J. LOUNSBURY, OF GLEN ELLYN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 10 W. H. MINER, INC.,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWAREV RAILWAY DRAFT RIGGING Application led December 9, 1927. Serial No. 238,751.

This invention relates to improvements in railway draft riggings.

In the operation of railway cars, and more particularly freight cars, a heretofore con- 5 stant source of trouble has been due to the inability-to maintain the standard couplers in their proper horizontal condition or in alignment with the shock absorbing device. In the heretofore common practice, the coupler has been keyed to a yoke or links at points inwardly ofthe end sill or buffer block and substantially the entire support for the coupler has been derived from the usual carry iron located at a pointl outwardly of the key connec- 13 tion. The standard couplers are extremely heavy and particularly the coupler head or free end thereof with the result that, heretofore, the coupler head has had a constant ten dency to fall or droop, thus destroying the intended, desired horizontal axial alignment'.

of the coupler shank and shock absorbing device. Further, due to the heretofore common draft rigging arrangements, a certain amount of angular movement in a vertical plane between the coupler shank and the yoke-acting means has been unavoidable due to the play necessarily allowed at the coupler key connection. This also has lbeen a source of great difficulty independent of the drooping tendency of the coupler head since it frequently occurs that the coupler head is lifted or pushed upwardly in effecting a coupling of two cars, thus destroying the said horizontal axial alignment, causing an eccentric application of the load from the butt end of the coupler to the shock absorbing device and also causing injury to the parts of the car end sill structure aroundthe opening within which the coupler shank'reciprocates.

The disadvantages above mentioned are accentuated the longer the car is in service due to the repeated draft and'buiiing movements in the coupling of cars and in the operation of a train of cars. The over-balanced coupler head continuall tends to destroy the usual carry iron and t e more the latter 1s distorted and permits the outer end of the coupler to sag, the greater the other injuries which will necessarily follow to the end sill structure of the car and to parts of the draft rigging d-ue to the application of eccentric loads so that couplingof cars together and maintenanceof a coupled condition becomes extremely difficult and frequently impossible.

Further, as is well known to those skilled 5 in the art, the normal coupler travel is approximately two and three quarter inches. At the present time, there is a definite general tendency to increase the coupler travel, particularly in buff so that the overhang of the coupler head in normal full release condition of the rigging and still more, in the fufll draft condition of the parts, is materially increased with a correspondingly increased damaging effect. Y

One object of my invention is to provide simple and relatively inexpensive means for so associating the coupler and' draft-acting means of the draft rigging that the coupler shank will, at all times, be maintained in proper axial alinement with the shock absorbing device in allv possible positions of the draft rigging from extreme draft to extreme compression.

Another object of my invention is to pro- 75 vide means for supporting the coupler in such manner that the overhanging portion of the coupler will be'supported to prevent any tendency of the coupler to pivot or fulcrum about a carry iron in those draft riggings where a carry iron is employed to thereby prevent drooping or falling of the coupler head and hence to maintain the proper position of the coupler head for effective coupling with adjacent cars.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a combined aligning and'draft-acting means such that the coupler may bev readily inserted and removed without taking down the other parts of the draft rigging and which means will have the advantages set forth in the two preceding paragraphs.

More specifically,.other objects of my invention are: To provide a draft rigging having a compression or buiing strokeapproximating double that of the present standard draft riggings and wherein the axial4 alignment of the coupler shank and shock absorbing device is maintained and droo ing of the coupler is prevented notwithstanding the. loo

iol

greater overhang of the coupler necessitated by the increased travel; to provide a unitary, combined coupler aligning and draft-acting member for a shock `absorbing device of a d'raft rigging; and to provide such a combined aligning and draft member which may be connected to a standard coupler by the usual key connection.

'Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the following description, consldered in connection with the drawings, forming a part hereof and the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a longitudinal, vertical, sectional view of a portion of a railway car atone end thereof showing my improvements in connection therewith, the position of the parts b ing that assumed when are spaced the standard distance apart for reception of the draft rigging. 11a-11 `indicate rear stop lugs; 12, the center filler of the body bolster; 13-13 common forms of front stop lugs; 14 an angle end sill of the car; 15 the end wall sheathing; 1 6 a dead block, striking casting or buffer casting; and 17 a detachable carry iron.

A standard coupler is indicated broadly by the reference character A; and my improved combined aligning and draft member is indicated broadly'by the reference character B. Within'the member B is shown, in a conventional lmanner, a shockabsorbing mechanism C which may be of any desired type, the same having associated therewith a front follower 18. IThe member B and shock absorbing device therein may be supported by two saddle plates 19-'19, as illustrated, said saddle plates extending from draft sill to draft sill and detachably connected thereto by bolts 20. In carrying out my invention, the member B is provided with a loop proper comprised of the upper and lower parallel arms 21-21 -united by the iear end vertical section 22. The dimensions of said loop portion may be (inade to accommodate shock absorbing devices of any desired size, the arrangement illustrated being intended to indicate a shock absorbing device having a much greater travel or stroke in buff than those heretofore commonly used, the arrangement shown illustrating a draft gear having a stroke of approximately five inches in com pression and two inches in draft.

The arms 21-21 are respectively downwardly and upwardly .converged forwardly of the follower 18, as indicated at 23-23 and are integrally united by vertical side walls 24-24, thus providing a boXlike hood for the vreception of the inner butt portion 25 of the coupler A. Said side walls .24 Aare slotted for the reception of a' coupler key 26 which connects the member B and the'coupler in a well known manner, it being observed that 'the slot in the coupler shank is somewhat wider than the key 26 so as to permit lateral motion of the lcoupler with respect thereto. The ends of the key 26 are preferably extended through elongated slots`27-27 provided in the draft sills and the front stop lugs 13. As indicated in Figure 2, the key 26 is normally disposed in the slots 27 to allow for a greater movement under buii' than under1 draft. Preferably also, the side walls 24 of the member B will be ribbed as indicated at 124 to provide a greater bearing area for the key 26.

Forwardly of the hood section of the member B, the latter is provided with a casing or sleeve section which consists of bottom wall 28, top wall 29 and side walls 30-30. The top and bottom walls 29 and 28 are extended parallelly and spaced apart a. sufficient distance to easily accommodate the usual shanks of standard couplers. The side walls 30-30 are laterally flared in an outward direction as shown in Figure 2 to permit the necessary angling or lateral movement of the coupler with reference to the memberB. Said casing section is preferably extended as far forward as possible, that is, to a plane in vertical alignment with the usual horn 31 of the cou- .pler head and, at its forward end, the casing section will be flanged as indicated at 32, the

flange at the top being of greater extent as indicated at 132 so as to substantially equal the height of the horn -31.

With the parts'in the normal or full release position shown in Figure l, it will be observed that the member B, coupler A and shock absorbing device C are supported at three points, namely, at the carry iron 17 and at each of the saddle plates 19, the carry iron being forward of the key connection between the coupler and member B and the two saddle plates rearwardly thereof. With this arrangement considered in connection with the coupler key connection, it will be seen that the weight of the outer or free end of the coupler head -is overbalanced by the combined weight of the inner portions of the member B and associated shock absorbing device so that gated support provided by the lower wall 28 of the sleeve section and the fact that said extension is formed integrally with the balance of the member B, all tendency of the coupler to fulcrum or droop is eliminated and this is truc in any working condition of the parts as illustratediin Figures 1, 3 and 4. Even in the outermost extreme position of the coupler and yoke, as illustrated in Figure 3, the overbalancing` effect of the inner end of the member B and associated shock absorbing device is more than sufficient to prevent the free end of the coupler and outer-end of the member B from pivoting or fulcruming in a downward direction about the carry iron as a fulcrum.

It will further be observed that the improved arrangement described insures constant axial alignment of the coupler shank and shock absorbing device in all operative positions of the parts, even independently of any slight lowering of the carry iron and further, that the head end of the coupler cannot be projected upwardly during the coupling of two ears so as to destroy the alignment or cause injury to the end sill structure of the car. Likewise, it will be observed that all of the aforementioned advantages are obtained while permitting the necessary desired lateral movement of the coupler with respect to the draft-acting means and that the arrangement lends itself without necessitating any radical changes of car construction to the increased travel or stroke of the shock absorbing device.

tain extent, the blow against the horn of the coupler.

As previously indicated, my improvements are used in conjunction with a standard coupler, commonly known as the type D couplerA Such couplers are so constructed that the distance from the inner or butt end of the coupler shank to a vertical plane passing through the rear face of the'horn of the coupler, is 21%. Furthermore, such standardor type D couplers have the standard coupler key slot thereof so located in the shank that the rear edge of the coupler key slot is spaced 4 from the inner or butt end of the shank, the coupier key slot itself being /8 wide. ln the use of such standard or type D couplers with my improvements, where a buffing stroke is employed longer than the usual standard buthng stroke of 2%, it necessarily follows from the relationship and dimensions of the parts above referred to, that the distance between the front edges of the key slots 27 in the draft sills to a vertical plane passing through the striking face of the buffer casting 16, will be less than the distance between said striking face and the strikingfface of the standard type D coupler horn 31 when the parts of the gear are in full release position, as clearly indicated in both Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing. It also follows that, in order to properly maintain the alinement of the coupler, the supporting bottom wall or shelf 28 of my improved yoke will normally be extended forwardly of the front edges of the sill slots 27.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is b way of illustration only and not by way of limitation. All changes'and modifications are contemplated that come within the scope of the claimsappended hereto.

I claim:

1. ln a railway draft rigging, the combination with draft sills provided with coupler key guide slots, a striking casting, shock absorbing means having the draft stroke thereof limited to less than' the bulling stroke, the builing stroke being greater than standard, and carry iron means; of a coupler of standard length having bulling and draft strokes respectively equal to the bulling and draft strokes of the shock absorbing means, said coupler having a key slot spaced the standard distance from the outer end of the coupler; means for operatively connecting the coupler to said shock absorbing means including, a combined draft and coupler alining member and a coupler key, said member having a loopv encircling said shock absorbing means, a portion encircling the butt end of the coupler shank and a coupler shank-supporting portion underlying the shank, said last named portion being extended outwardly to a point 'adjacent the coupler head so that the coupler shank rearwardly of said point together with the yoke will overbalance .the weight of the coupler head, saidy extended portion being guided on the carry iron rmeans and the coupler key extending through the coupler shank, yoke and slots in the sills, the head of the coupler being normally spaced a distance from the striking casting at least as great as the full buing movement of the coupler and the slots of the draft sills being of such a length as to permit the full bufling and draft movements of th; coupler, and to provide, in the normal position of the parts, an amount of clearance between the keyand the outer end walls of the slots at least as great as the draft movement of the coupler.

2, ln a railway draft rigging, the combination with spaced draft sills; of a member on said sills having a striking surface; shock absorbing means having the draft stroke ipso thereof limited to less than the buing stroke, the bufling stroke being greater than standard; a yoke enclosing said shock absorbing means; a coupler, said coupler being movable from normal position in draft and buff respectively distances corresponding to. the draft and buff stroke of the shock absorbing means; means for .connecting the coupler to the yoke, said yoke having an outwardly eX- tending ledge formed integral therewith on which thecoupler shankV is supported, said ledge protruding outwardly of the car beyond the face of the striking surface when the partsare in normal position, and supporting the coupler in all positions thereof; and means for supporting andy guiding the yoke.

3. In a railway draft rigging, the combi-y nation with parallel draft sills, a coupler,

'shock absorbing means having a buing stroke greater than its draft stroke, the buing stroke being greater than standard, and carry iron means; of a yoke connected to the coupler, said yoke encircling said shock absorbing means and'having a hood portion encircling the buttend of the coupler shank; andv a coupler shank carrier member connected tothe yoke supported by the carry iron and movable outwardly thereonin draft with the'coupler and normally extending outwardly beyond said carry iron means and to a point adjacent the coupler head whereby in either a full buflng or draft stroke said carriermember extends outwardly as far as the outer portion of said carry iron means.'y

4. In a railway draft rigging, the combination withdraft sills, a coupler, vshock absorbing means having a buing stroke greater than its draft stroke and carry iron means; of a combined draft and coupler alining member, said member having a loop enclrcling said shock absorbing means, a hood encircling the butt end of the coupler shank and a coupler shank-supporting portion normally extending outwardly beyond said carry'iron means sufficiently so that at the end of an extreme buiiing stroke, said portion will always overlie said carry iron means, said loop,. hood and portion being integrally formed and the coupler shank, coupler b'utt, supporting portion and hood so formed that the coupler may be inserted into and removed endwise from ythe coupler alining member while the latter is in operative position between the sills.

5. In a railwa draft rigging, the combination with dra t sills, a coupler, shock absorbing means having a buiing stroke greater than its draft stroke and carry iron means; of a combined draft and coupler alining ymember, said member having a loop encircling said shock absorbing means, a hood encircling the butt end of the coupler shank and a coupler shank-supporting portion encircling the, shank, said portion being excoupler head whereby in either a full buffng or draft stroke, said portion will always overlap said carry iron means, said loop, hood and portion being integrally formed and the coupler shank, coupler butt, support-ing portion and hood so 4formed that the coupler may be inserted into and removed vendwise from the coupler alining memberwhile the latter is in operative position. v

6o In a railway draft rigging, the combination with parallel draft sills, a ycoupler shock absorbing means having a buiiing stroke greater than its draft stroke and carry iron means; of a combined draft and coupler alining member, said member having a loop encircling said shock absorbing means, a hood encircling the butt end of the coupler shank and a coupler shank-supporting portion normally extending outwardly beyond said carry iron means and to a. point adjacent the coupler head whereby in either a full buing or draft stroke, said portion will have a section thereof extended outwardly as far as the out-er portion of said carry iron means, said loop, hood and supporting portion bein integrally formed and the coupler shan coupler butt, supporting portion and hood so formed that the coupler may be inserted into and removed endwise from the coupler alining member while the latter is in operative position.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 3rd day of December, 1927.

HARVEY J. LOUNSBURY.

tended outwardly to a point adjacent the 

